Why it's perfectly fine with me to raise my kids in expat, specifically in Africa
Over the past 5 years, since i had my first child, my surroundings have been a bit skeptical about having to continue living in Angola. I always tell them that i would never put my kids safety at risk and that its a livable country once you know how to make it your own home.
This is why i have no problem raising my kids in expat and most specifically Africa
1- My other choice at the moment is Lebanon and personally I don't see it as a healthy environment for my kids with all the sectarianism embedded in the roots of the country , not to mention the garbage problem that i've had friends in Angola asking me about it here!
2- My kids have friends from Lebanon, Angola , France , Portugal and so on , and never once has my almost 6 year old asked me or even distinguished that they are somehow different.
3- A lot of outdoor play of exploring, not playgrounds and parks, but inventing games and getting dirty with anything they could get their hands on! I kept convincing myself that its ok they are gettinn their immunity strengthened , but they are actually the happiest and most delighted while playing with the insects in our garden!
4- We live in such a rich cultural continent with so much to see and explore, specially that i have a child obsessed with animals! Now that our kids are a bit easier to travel with ,we are planning to do so and explore our surroundings. We started with Mauritius with them next on the list is South Africa.
5- Being in a expat country allows you indirectly to be more involved with your kids and be there for every little thing and detail they have or encounter , unfortunately no grandparents or relatives to babysit or to take some time off for yourself , so autolmatically you connect more with your children.
Of course we are always smelling of mosquito repellent and i have a breakdown if one of the kids catches a virus , but with time you learn how to absorb it all and turn in into a beautiful home.
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